19 April 2024 Netherlands
Read the stories of local farmers and community groups implementing business ideas with the support of the Tropenbos International Network.
19 April 2024 Viet Nam
In Dak Lak, Viet Nam, within the context of the Working Landscapes programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tropenbos Viet Nam and Tropenbos International have collaborated with FarmTree and Tây Nguyên University (TNU) to offer scientific evidence on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of coffee agroforestry systems versus conventional monocrop systems. This valuable information is a stepping stone for Tropenbos Viet Nam to engage with relevant stakeholders and policymakers, aiming to integrate agroforestry into the national Payments for Environmental Services (PES) policies.
19 April 2024 Indonesia
Tropenbos Indonesia’s initiatives in the Simpang Dua subdistrict are yielding promising outcomes for indigenous farmers. Through strategic training and collaboration, farmers are enhancing the quality of their rubber produce, resulting in increased remuneration. Additionally, as part of MoMo4C, the careful management of their agroforests is fostering diversified income streams, which is expected to act as a safeguard for farmers during periods of low rubber prices.
19 April 2024 Ghana
In a groundbreaking move, as part of MoMo4C, Tropenbos Ghana has launched a Waste-to-Energy pilot project in the Sefwi Wiawso Juaboso Bia (SWJB) landscape with an all-women cocoa cooperative. By turning cocoa waste into a valuable resource, this model aims to create new avenues for income generation, livelihood diversification, and long-term sustainability in the landscape, particularly for women and young smallholder farmers.
19 April 2024 Indonesia
Tropenbos Indonesia’s and Rimba Collective’s collaborative project to promote sustainable community-based forest stewardship and livelihood improvement in four villages of the Ketapang District, West Kalimantan province, is moving forward. Embarking on a 25-year journey, the project, also supported by MoMo4C, has laid the foundation for success during its inaugural year, with facilities, training and strategic planning set in motion.
19 March 2024 General
Why do many farmers still resist adopting and scaling agroforestry? Are the economic benefits not enough, or not perceived to be enough? Or are there other reasons? These are the questions that were asked when work began on Tropical Forest Issues 62.
05 February 2024 Netherlands
On February 5th, Tropenbos International (Bas Louman), Tropenbos Ghana (Evans Sampene, representing the MoMo4C programme), IDH Farmfit Fund (Loïc Badohoun), South Pole (Daniela Monteiro) jointly organised a dialogue on innovative Finance Partnerships that aim to enhance access to finance and diversification of income for small scale producers in West Africa, with emphasis on Ghana.
15 January 2024 General
Tropenbos International is looking for an intern for a (desk-based) project on the link between the Tropenbos programmes and the impact reached in the implementation landscapes. In addition to this main research project, the student will be asked to support in other assignments in relation to the ongoing programmes at Tropenbos International.
23 October 2023 General
Despite efforts to promote agroforestry in the cocoa sector, its adoption has been slow. A new publication gives insight into the strategies of six cocoa and chocolate companies to encourage agroforestry in West Africa, and offers recommendations to accelerate its uptake.
18 October 2023 General
Community forest management can contribute to local development, while playing an important role in the protection and restoration of the world’s forests — crucial to tackle the global biodiversity and climate crises. The success of community forest management is influenced by the functioning of community-level governance arrangements. What role can the NGOs play in supporting and strengthening community-level governance?
19 September 2023 General
After participating in a youth exchange in June 2023 youth leaders from the Amazonia in Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname proposed three strategic actions to be included in programmes in the region. The actions relate to knowledge, inclusion and incidence, and well-being.
05 September 2023 General
In recent years, extensive wildfires, characterized by dark plumes of smoke that often stretch across national borders, have captured international headlines. So far, 2023 has proven particularly severe, with fires blazing across the Amazon basin, Canada, and Europe. These fires profoundly impact people's lives, endanger ecosystems, and release large amounts of greenhouse gases. Worryingly, their frequency and intensity are increasing. Here we answer four basic questions related to their causes and solutions, and the role different actors can play.
07 July 2023 the Netherlands
Are you a Human Resource Management student with an interest on tropical forests, climate change, biodiversity, and people? Would you be interested to further professionalize the management of an international organization? Interested, read further…
05 July 2023 the Netherlands
To strengthen our corporate communications, we are looking for an enthusiastic, creative and imaginative communication student with a special interest in social media to join our communication team in Ede, the Netherlands.
05 July 2023 General
The unsustainable use of natural resources in tropical frontier landscapes reduces people’s resilience and contributes to climate change and loss of biodiversity. Despite the obvious negative consequences, this unsustainable use persists, and structural changes to address it are urgently needed at various levels. It is our conviction that these structural changes must start with more inclusive and equitable governance and management of forests. To this aim, we support evidence-based, locally owned solutions to landscape-specific challenges across the forested tropics.
05 July 2023 General
TBI partners in Bolivia, Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia and Viet Nam worked with local governments to implement strategies that contribute to achieving targets and ambitions set in nationally determined contributions.
05 July 2023 the Netherlands
Through the Green Finance for SMEs (GFS) programme, Tropenbos International aims to bridge the gap between international finance and local entrepreneurs with ideas for sustainable businesses. In 2022, the programme broadened its strategy by including buyers and exporters in the value chains of forestry and agroforestry products.
30 June 2023 the Netherlands
In June 2022, Joost van Montfort succeeded René Boot as the Executive Director of Tropenbos International (TBI). Having worked for various civil society organizations, including WWF, IUCN NL, AidEnvironment, SNV and Doctors without Borders, Joost has extensive experience with programme management, partnership building and organizational change. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about his views on TBI’s role, his ambitions, and the lessons he brings with him from other organizations.
28 June 2023 the Netherlands
We are looking for an expert/organization who can organize and facilitate an online training on conflict analysis.
22 June 2023 General
On 15 February 2023, after a 20-hour journey, a team consisting of staff from Tropenbos Democratic Republic of Congo, community leaders and a representative of a cocoa buyer, arrived at the airport in Accra. They were welcomed by Tropenbos Ghana, who invited them for a 10-day visit to learn about cocoa sector in Ghana. The visit provided a great opportunity for learning and exchange within the Tropenbos International network. At the end of the learning visit, the team from DRC shared their observations about the impact of cocoa production on landscapes and important lessons for cocoa in DRC.
15 June 2023 Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, PENHA led the truly inclusive development of a national dryland restoration strategy that is widely supported across regions and government departments. This has inspired others to adopt a similar approach.
14 June 2023 Ghana
A law in Ghana stipulates that all naturally growing trees are owned by the state. In 2022, female cocoa farmers collaborated with Tropenbos Ghana to draw attention to the adverse effects of this law on their livelihoods.
13 June 2023 Viet Nam
Tropenbos Viet Nam actively engaged government officials in research into the forest management traditions of ethnic minorities. As a result, government officials are now more aware of the role that ethnic minorities can play in forest management and conservation.
08 June 2023 Bolivia
In Bolivia, IBIF has been working with stakeholders in the Guarayos landscape to develop fire management tools, early warning systems and fire brigades, as well as regulations that help prevent wildfires from occurring within and around the Guarayos Indigenous Territory. Their approach is starting to be recognized by other organizations and government agencies.
07 June 2023 Suriname
The natural forests within the territory of the Saamaka tribe in Suriname are threatened by logging and mining companies, without the consent of the Saamaka people. On 28 November 2022, a delegation of Saamaka youths went to Parliament, urging the government to expedite the processing of a law to provide the Saamaka with the legal right to their territory.
05 June 2023 Indonesia
Tropenbos Indonesia helped Indigenous farmers in Simpang Dua subdistrict to increase their income from rubber agroforestry. Through capacity building and organization, their prospects have improved significantly. Revitalized rubber agroforestry can provide an alternative to oil palm plantations, benefitting farmers as well as the environment.
02 June 2023 Colombia
Tropenbos Colombia supported participatory productive restoration as an alternative approach to the government’s large-scale tree planting efforts. Tropenbos Colombia enabled farmers to establish restoration plots, supported inclusive landscape governance, and explored options for innovative financing.
01 June 2023 DR Congo
Tropenbos DR Congo assisted communities to apply for local community forest concessions, which give them the right to use and manage their forests. Within the degraded parts of these concessions, Tropenbos DR Congo has been promoting agroforestry to improve livelihoods without putting pressure on the forest. This effort resulted in a surge of farmers adopting cocoa agroforestry practices throughout the Bafwasende landscape in 2022.
31 May 2023 the Netherlands
We are looking for a creative communication agency that will help us raise awareness of the potential of locally owned solutions to mitigating wild fire risks across tropical landscapes.
24 May 2023 General
The co-creation of locally owned solutions through a fire-smart landscape governance is a viable answer to reduce wildfire risk for more sustainable use of forests and trees in climate smart landscapes. With this message, Tropenbos International participated during the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto, Portugal from 15-19 of May.
02 May 2023 Bolivia
The indigenous territory of Monteverde in Bolivia extends over 1 million hectares and is mainly covered with forests. In recent years, however, agricultural encroachment has resulted in increased deforestation.
21 April 2023 General
Wildfires are increasing in intensity, frequency and scale of impact and have become concern for countries around the world with severe impacts for people and forests.
18 April 2023 the Netherlands
Tropenbos International is looking for an international evaluator to lead a team of national evaluators in conducting the end evaluation of its Working Landscapes programme.
13 April 2023 Uganda
Uganda’s Buvuma island, located in Lake Victoria, used to be heavily forested. Between 2000 and 2005, however, the island witnessed rapid land use changes, leaving less than 3% of the area forested.
06 April 2023 the Netherlands
‘The financial sector has contributed to climate change and biodiversity loss, but is can also be part of the solution.’ With these words, the organisers opened the GLF conference ‘Luxembourg Finance for Nature: What comes next?’ During the conference, Mobilising More for Climate (MoMo4C) partners and other experts presented and discussed challenges and solutions to fund such initiatives in low- and middle-income countries.
03 April 2023 General
New publication - Faced with environmental degradation and strong land pressure, farmers in south-central Niger have intensified their agricultural production systems. Since the 1980s, farmers in the regions of Zinder, Maradi and Tahoua have increased the number of trees and shrubs on their fields, creating new agroforestry parklands over about 5 million hectares. This regreening is not based on tree planting, however, but on farmers protecting and managing natural regeneration of woody species on their crop lands. This has been well documented over the years, but until now, there has not been a thorough review of all of the published peer-referenced as well as grey literature.
29 March 2023 Indonesia
For generations, the Indigenous Dayak Simpakng of Mekar Raya village in West Kalimantan, have been managing trees and crops in a complex system known as Tembawang. They depend on Tembawang for their livelihoods. It is where they collect fruits, vegetables, and materials for weaving baskets. It is also where they get clean water from numerous springs. To them, the Tembawang area is sacred and needs to be protected as part of their life support system and culture.
23 March 2023 the Netherlands
Tropenbos International is calling for contributions to the publication: “Communities and the Timber Value Chain in South and Central America”, which is being carried out within the framework of the Working Landscapes Programme.
22 March 2023 General
The incorporation of trees on farms, known as agroforestry, has the potential to contribute to resilient livelihoods, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation. But, despite its many benefits, the widespread adoption of agroforestry still faces numerous challenges.
14 March 2023 Ghana
In Ghana, cocoa is traditionally grown in agroforestry systems, but over time farmers increasingly switched to monocultures, with negative effects on long-term production levels and farmers’ resilience. We have supported cocoa farmers to bring back trees into their farms.
13 March 2023 Ghana
Climate change is threatening the livelihoods of smallholders in the Juabeso-Bia and Sefwi-Wiawso landscapes in the Western North Region of Ghana. Most of these farmers depend on only one crop — cocoa — which makes them particularly vulnerable to changing and ever more extreme weather conditions. To increase their resilience in the face of climate change, farmers must invest in climate-smart practices; for example, by diversifying their income sources. However, such investments typically require more cash than they have on hand.
08 March 2023 the Netherlands
Are you the driven finance and bussines teamplayer that will lead the network’s finance and business support? Do you want to be part of an international organisation that contributes to responsible management of forests and trees in forested landscapes? Then help us to make the difference and join our team.
08 March 2023 Indonesia
Many farmers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, have been converting rubber agroforests to monoculture oil palm plantations, decreasing diversity in the landscape. We want to reverse this trend, by making rubber agroforestry attractive again. What have we done and learned?
01 March 2023 Viet Nam
Expansion of coffee monocultures on the slopes of the Srepok River Basin in Viet Nam has resulted in severe land degradation. As part of the Working Landscapes programme, we have been supporting coffee agroforestry to restore these lands and increase smallholders’ resilience.
10 February 2023 the Netherlands
Are you the Business and Finance expert that can build bridges between interests and perspectives from a multitude of stakeholder? And put your business and finance expertise to work for innovative financial solutions that support both community’s livelihoods and sustainable forest management through innovative approaches for collaborative learning and collective action… Then join our committed team.
26 January 2023 the Netherlands
For years, the Dutch government has been supporting voluntary international corporate responsibility covenants and efforts have been made to develop methods for companies to measure and reduce their global footprint. The lack of real tangible progress shows the failure of these forms of self-regulation. It is time for binding laws and regulations. The proposed law on responsible and sustainable international business (initiatiefwet verantwoord en duurzaam internationaal ondernemen), which will be officially discussed in the House of Representatives this week, offers opportunities for internationally operating businesses to become more sustainable more quickly.
25 January 2023 General
Agroforestry has long been considered as a key practice for sustainably improving and diversifying farm incomes, nutrition, and resilience to economic and environmental shocks. The ecological benefits are proven, and there is no shortage of technical knowledge. But its widespread adoption remains elusive. Is it that the economic benefits for farmers are not enough, or not perceived to be enough? Or are there other reasons?
12 January 2023 Bolivia
The forests of Guarayos provide more than half of Bolivia’s wood supply. But this is threatened by overexploitation, while younger people have been leaving to find work elsewhere. This video shows how a programme supports indigenous youth to be more aware of the value of their forests, the economic opportunities available, and to build the needed skills to make the most of these. The result – more income for them and their communities, less migration, and improved sustainable governance of local forests.
22 December 2022 Ethiopia
Amsale Shibeshi of PENHA, presents a copy of the Ethiopian Dryland Restoration Strategy to Ato Tilaye Nigussie of Ethiopian Forestry Development. Ethiopians from across key regions and at all levels, had together produced this strategy that will guide the development of drylands throughout the country.
07 December 2022 the Netherlands
Late on 5 December 2022, EU decision-makers have concluded their negotiations for an EU deforestation Regulation which is the first in the world that takes significant steps to tackle global deforestation. We celebrate this historic agreement. Ambitious accompanying measures and partnerships are, however, essential to make a true transition on the ground.
06 December 2022 General
‘There is a need of active involvement of indigenous and local communities (and their knowledge), local government, smallholders and other stakeholders in developing and implementing effective wildfire risk reduction strategies, policies and practices as extreme wildfires increase in numbers and intensity’. This is one of the main recommendations from the session ‘Fire-smart landscapes as a promising approach for effective adaptation and mitigation’ during the Global Landscape Forum Climate: Frontiers of Change in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheik.
05 December 2022 the Netherlands
To address the effects and causes of climate change and achieve broader goals for inclusive sustainable development, it is important to improve the resilience of landscapes. Climate change has major consequences for people and nature. Many of the more vulnerable countries in the tropics lack the financial and other resources to adapt to climate change effects.
17 November 2022 Indonesia
Following successes in 2021, the second year of the KURRI programme in 2022 has seen 14 small enterprises in Kalimantan selected for their potential to have positive environmental and social impacts. As well as vegetable and woven craft producers, innovations include the production of charcoal briquettes from rice husks, chips from banana stems, herbal drinks, and a refill station for drinking water bottles.
14 November 2022 the Netherlands
During the GLF Climate 2022: Frontiers of Change in November 2022 TBI hosted a session that offered an opportunity to share integrated and context-specific fire management and fire risk reduction approaches that combine restoration and regeneration practices and traditional knowledge, as well as how these practices can be scaled up to become part of Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs).
10 November 2022 General
Catastrophic wildfires across the globe have been grabbing headlines in recent years. A 2022 report from the United Nations Environment Programme indicates that wildfires are growing in frequency and intensity, and spreading in range, and predicts a 30% increase in the number of wildfires by 2050. Hotter and drier weather, next to changes in land use, are considered the main drivers. This stresses the importance of allocating more resources for preventing extreme wildfires occurring in the first place, alongside fire suppression after they have started.
09 November 2022 the Netherlands
As the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU are negotiating a compromise on the EU regulation on deforestation free products, Solidaridad joins other civil society organizations in calling upon them to maintain a high level of ambition and refrain from any harmful trade offs. The undersigned CSOs have at heart to ensure that the realities and needs of smallholders and forest communities are taken into account, to ensure an effective implementation of the future EU requirements.
03 November 2022 Indonesia
In Ketapang, Indonesia, fires keep recurring on drained peatlands, with devastating effects. This short video presents how Tropenbos Indonesia has been working in an integrated approach for fire prevention in peatlands. The approach implies rewetting peatlands, alternative production systems, protection of forests and most important involving local stakeholders in a collaborative management process.
01 November 2022 Indonesia
The new planting season is bringing new opportunities for indigenous Dayak women in Ketapang, West Kalimantan. Alpina Rupina and friends from Simpang Dua have started to use sustainable farming practices that they learned from farmer field schools, are protecting the forest, and are now developing business ideas so they can become economically independent.
05 October 2022 General
In a recent article in Tropical Conservation Science, a group of authors from the TBI Network and RECOFTC argue that NGOs supporting community forestry can play a role in facilitating bottom-up governance processes. This requires long-term commitments. Moreover, it requires investments in the skills of NGO practitioners to facilitate highly complex and dynamic social processes.
29 September 2022 Suriname
Indigenous, tribal and peasant communities from Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname recently exchanged their experiences with territorial governance. According to Biza Akienboto, member of the Saamaka tribe in Suriname, this will help them prepare for the formal recognition of their territorial rights.
29 September 2022 Suriname
Leaders of Indigenous, Afro-descendent and peasant communities from Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname came together in August 2022 to share experiences with territorial governance and sustainable forest management. This resulted in a unique opportunity to learn and connect. For the Saamaka people from Suriname, it not only provided practical lessons but also inspiration to continue their struggle for land rights.
05 September 2022 General
In August 2022, an unprecedented gathering occurred. This was the Gaan Kuutu, a regional exchange where 26 representatives from indigenous, tribal and peasant communities in South American had the opportunity to share first hand their experiences in how to best manage their lands.
23 August 2022 the Netherlands
Tropenbos International is looking for a communication agency that will help us producing a communication campaign on TBI’s approaches to establish sustainable agroforestry systems.
21 July 2022 Viet Nam
In Viet Nam’s Central Highlands, women have the potential to play a key role in restoring degraded lands. Until recently, however, women seldom joined in local government efforts to promote restoration. By involving government officials in research, awareness creation and training, Tropenbos Viet Nam managed to convince them to focus their support on women-led agroforestry models for restoration.
21 July 2022 Suriname
Throughout 2021 Tropenbos Suriname carried out a dialogue with the traditional leaders of the Saamaka tribe in the country’s interior rainforest. By the end of the year this resulted in an agreement to work together to strengthen the tribe’s territorial governance, based on the concerns and priorities of the Saamaka leaders, and with the enthusiastic involvement of Saamaka youth.
21 July 2022 Ethiopia
The restoration of Ethiopia’s drylands has the potential to improve local livelihoods while contributing to climate change mitigation. In 2021, TBI’s partner in Ethiopia — PENHA — got government agencies and other stakeholders to collaborate and agree on a national drylands restoration strategy, laying a firm foundation for ambitious nationwide efforts.
18 July 2022 General
This annual review highlights a wide variety of outcomes of our work in 2021.
06 July 2022 General
The formalization of forest tenure rights of Indigenous people and local communities is expected to contribute to forest conservation, livelihood improvement and local self-determination. But formalization alone is not enough. More attention is needed for the conditions that must be in place for these expectations to materialize.
05 July 2022 Indonesia
In Ketapang, Indonesia, fires keep recurring on drained peatlands, with devastating effects. Preventing them requires restoring water levels, but government officials, companies and farmers have long resisted this approach, fearing it would compromise the economy. In 2021, Tropenbos Indonesia managed to change their minds — a crucial first step towards structural fire prevention.
30 June 2022 the Netherlands
On 1 April 2022, René Boot retired as director of Tropenbos International (TBI). During his 20 years at the helm, he transformed TBI into an international network of autonomous organizations that help communities, companies and governments with improving the governance and management of tropical forests and woodlands. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about some of the insights he gained along the way.
29 June 2022 General
TBI aspires to increase the role of forest and tree-based strategies in national plans to achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). In 2021 TBI’s efforts started showing the first promising results.
28 June 2022 General
Biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based solutions are essential for healthy societies, resilient economies and thriving businesses. However, there is a gap between new and existing development and climate investments and global funding for biodiversity, conservation, and nature-based solutions. Through a new series of Mobilising more for climate podcasts we will bring stories from the forefront of nature and climate finance that can help close this gap.
27 June 2022 Colombia
For several years, Tropenbos Colombia has been promoting participatory productive restoration (PPR) as an alternative to top-down restoration projects. After taking root in 2020, PPR really started growing in 2021. More than 100 initiatives are now up and running, and enthusiasm for PPR is spreading.
22 June 2022 the Netherlands
In response to the EU’s proposed regulation on deforestation-free products, Tropenbos International and 50 other civil society organizations call on the Commission to urgently assess smallholders’ needs. Without support, smallholders may struggle to comply and be excluded from the EU market while deforestation continues.
20 June 2022 DR Congo
In 2021, hundreds of farmers throughout the Bafwasende landscape started to establish cocoa agroforestry systems on previously deforested lands, with the help of Tropenbos DR Congo. This is a major step towards more sustainable farming and improved livelihoods.
15 June 2022 General
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agroforestry and forestry sectors require access to finance to make investments in sustainable practices. With this aim, TBI increases their capacity to develop bankable business proposals. At the same time, TBI collaborates with financial service providers to make new and existing financial products more easily available for SMEs.
14 June 2022 DR Congo
The Bafwasende landscape in the Tshopo Province of DR Congo has a forest cover of 98% and very high poverty rates. A few years ago, young people were eager to leave the area, going to cities to look for work. Recently, however, this outmigration has slowed down, because young people see new opportunities to earn money as smallholders, according to Alphonse Maindo, director of Tropenbos DR Congo. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the future of smallholder farming and community forestry in the Bafwasende landscape.
09 June 2022 the Netherlands
Tropenbos International is looking for a consultant for an in-depth review of fire risk management in the tropics and its relation to Fire-Smart Territory (FST) approach.
08 June 2022 the Netherlands
The high endemic biodiversity in Madagascar is being threatened by the increasing use of fire that is seeing whole landscapes being gradually transformed from closed forest to savannas. Here, Harifidy Rakoto Ratsimba of the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar, and Head of the Regional Eastern Africa Fire Management Research Center (REAFMRC) tells us what is being done, and the next steps needed to reduce the risk of wildfires and the threat to Malagasy forests.
07 June 2022 Bolivia
During 2021 the Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF) has been helping Indigenous women and youth to develop their own forest-based businesses. This has resulted not only in detailed business proposals, but has also provided people with inspiration, confidence and courage to pursue their dreams within their territories.
02 June 2022 Ghana
Tropenbos Ghana helped to develop 12 Village Savings and Loan Associations in the Juabeso-Bia and Sefwi-Wiawso landscapes. This has provided cocoa smallholders with access to finance to invest in climate-smart practices, such as diversifying their crops and improving irrigation.
31 May 2022 the Netherlands
“Community forestry can benefit from the knowledge, energy, creativity, diverse points of view, and cultural resources that young people provide,” says Constanza Mora Sanchez. However, this is hampered by the fact that young people are seldom included in the local institutions that govern community forestry. According to Sanchez this needs to change. Here she talks with Koen Kusters about the findings of her research on the engagement of youth in community forestry in Oaxaca, Mexico.
30 May 2022 Indonesia
Fires occur every year in Indonesia, during the logging of peat swamp forest, and for clearing land to be developed into industrial plantations, and to a smaller extent in non-peatland areas as part of the traditional practice of shifting cultivation. Here, Atiek Widayati of Tropenbos Indonesia, coordinator of the Indonesian wildfire component of the Working Landscapes programme tells what is being done, and the next steps needed to reduce the risk of wildfires in Indonesia.
24 May 2022 the Netherlands
“I want to help smallholders like my grandmother to have access to innovations that can help to feed their families and communities,” says Nassib Mugwanya. After years of working as an outreach officer with smallholders in Uganda, Mugwanya is now a doctoral student at North Carolina State University. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the importance of innovations for smallholder farming, and the risks of romanticising traditional farming practices.
23 May 2022 Colombia
“We met, we were happy to meet. It was the first time we worked together only with women, and it was the first time we were in charge” said Alexandra Gutiérrez Piranga, a Korebaju indigenous woman when explaining how, through a process of building confidence and skills, they are on track for formulating projects for their own well-being and the well-being of their communities.
19 May 2022 the Netherlands
In Venezuela, use of fire is a traditional practice by Indigenous peoples and firefighting agencies in savannas and cultivated areas. But due to the effects of climate change, fires are increasingly becoming out of control and more forests are being burned. Here, Bibiana Bilbao of Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela, and case study leader for indigenous fire management in the LANDMARC programme tells us what is being done, and the next steps needed to reduce the risk of wildfires in Venezuela.
17 May 2022 the Netherlands
Conventional agricultural support programmes are offering technologies to smallholders, but these technologies are destroying the ecological base of agriculture, according to Pablo Tittonell, Principal Research Scientist in Argentina’s National Council for Science and Technology. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about agroecological principles and the future of smallholders in forest frontier landscapes.
10 May 2022 the Netherlands
“We want to inspire young people to become restoration warriors,” says Sumarni Laman. She works with an NGO in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, to build awareness about the need for restoration among indigenous youth. Here she talks with Koen Kusters about the importance of her work, as well as the challenges she has encountered.
09 May 2022 the Netherlands
To prevent deforestation, restore degraded lands and build green value chains, local small-scale producers in the forestry and agroforestry sectors require better access to finance, so they can invest in sustainable practices, according to FAO’s most recent State of the World’s Forests.
04 May 2022 the Netherlands
“Economic development usually begins with agriculture, so we must take smallholders as a starting point,” says Rudy Rabbinge, emeritus university professor of sustainable development and food security at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the role of smallholders, and the need to increase their productivity.
26 April 2022 the Netherlands
We need to get away from the fixation on smallholders and focus on a development model that actually improves livelihood opportunities, according to Stefan Dercon of the University of Oxford. Dercon has written critically about development programmes that support smallholder agriculture as a way out of poverty. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the relation between smallholder farming, development aspirations and the environment.
19 April 2022 the Netherlands
There is a need to improve the productivity of smallholders, while preventing their further expansion into natural forest areas, according to Diana Chalil of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia. She has many years of experience researching oil palm smallholders in Indonesia and is currently coordinating a research project in the South Tapanuli landscape in the province of North Sumatra. Here she talks with Koen Kusters about the main insights of her research, and her ideas about ways to reconcile development and conservation objectives in oil palm dominated landscapes.
12 April 2022 the Netherlands
Smallholders should be compensated for their role in protecting the environment, says Pablo Pacheco, WWF’s global forests lead scientist. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the role of smallholders in tropical forest frontier areas, and the options to improve their livelihoods while maintaining ecological diversity in climate-smart landscapes.
06 April 2022 the Netherlands
Smallholders are increasingly losing ground. They are being pushed aside by large-scale companies, nature conservation initiatives and urban expansion, says Annelies Zoomers, professor of International Development Studies at Utrecht University. Here she talks with Koen Kusters about the future of smallholders in tropical forested landscapes, and the need to turn away from investment-driven development.
31 March 2022 the Netherlands
Environmentally friendly smallholder farming can contribute to biodiversity conservation in tropical forested landscapes. But the question is whether such farming systems can be successful business models, says Mark van Oorschot. Van Oorschot is senior researcher on international biodiversity policies at the Department of Nature and Rural Areas of PBL— the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the role of smallholders in the context of global conservation objectives.
29 March 2022 General
Men and women smallholders play important parts in efforts to combat poverty, food insecurity, deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change. But, there appears to be no consensus about the ways in which they could better address these global challenges and to help co-create climate-smart landscapes. During the seminar “The role of smallholders in forested landscapes – what did we learn?” on Thursday 24 March these issues were addressed by looking at three different narratives - are smallholders at the heart of the solution, just a part of the solution, or obstacle to development?
28 March 2022 the Netherlands
Tropenbos International is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Joost van Montfort as its new director. Joost will succeed René Boot, who retires by the end of March 2022. He will take up his position in June 2022.
28 March 2022 the Netherlands
The European Commission's proposed EU Regulation on deforestation-free products is a welcome step towards a higher ambition to tackle global deforestation, and forest degradation and to level the playing field for companies. Smallholders (and especially women) are some of the most marginalised actors in global supply chains. They produce a third of the world’s food supply and represent a large share of the producers in sectors included in the scope of the proposal (such as coffee, cocoa and palm oil). They often depend on large operators to buy their product and to decide the price.
23 March 2022 Indonesia
On 22 February 2022, a major step forward was taken in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, that allowed local climate-friendly and community-based enterprises to show their products to policy makers and potential investors and customers. And importantly, these producers of handicrafts, organic fertilizers, fruits, vegetables and mushrooms - winners of a new business competition - also shared what they need to expand.
17 February 2022 Ethiopia
On February 10th 2022, at a validation workshop in Addis, Ethiopia’s first National Dryland Restoration Strategy was officially endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and by Ethiopia Forest Development (EFD).